His body was aching all over. His head was spinning. His heart pounding. His lungs screaming desperately for air. Still he pressed on. But he was no longer moving forward. They were stuck. And then Marcus was getting up from the door and moving to sit against a tree.
The pilot was right. Sylvester wouldn't be able to pull him all the way there in time. The facts were all there. Either way he was dying. But if Sylvester left now, he at least stood a chance.
But no one had died yet. How could he leave a living, breathing person behind to die? How could he live with himself after that? But was there even any other option?
Whatever he was going to do, it had to be now. Time was not on their side. And so he lifted Marcus over his shoulders onto his back. Instantly his muscles joined the pilot in objecting the decision, but he ignored them both and continued on.
Marcus quickly abandoned his protestations, realizing they were in vain. Unfortunately his muscles continued to scream at him to stop. Each step he took required more effort than the one before it. Each breath was so monumental a task it made carrying the pilot seem like child's play in comparison – the pilot who was now coughing just as much as Sylvester was, making keeping a tight hold on him near impossible.
Soon they were stopping every few steps. And then after each and every step. And then, alongside the defeat and despair, relief flooded Sylvester's body in equal measure when his legs buckled beneath him. Because he was no longer moving. He could lay down. The pain was receding.
She hadn't wanted to get that close to anybody. She knew what her end was slated to be and she was fighting it for Walter, but she had resigned herself to her fate a long time ago. It would be unfair of her to let someone into her life when she knew from the start what a short life together it would be.
But then she met Sylvester and he changed everything. He was all around the greatest man she'd ever met. Still, she hadn't wanted to get so close to him only to have to leave him all too soon. She didn't want him to have to hurt. It never occurred to her that she'd wind up being the one who was hurting in the end.
She wanted to cry but it seemed she was out of tears. She wanted to say something but what could be said? This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He was the greater loss to the world. She had known from the start that the end would be terrible but she hadn't been ready for this.
He had assured her that he could take it. He knew it would be horrible but she was worth it and he could take it. But he was stronger than she was. She had been fine being alone before but he had worked his way in and made himself a part of her and now she didn't know how she was supposed to do this without him. How was she supposed to fight when the most important part of her was gone forever?